What's in a Name?

When Jake and I found out we were having a boy, we started getting a little more serious about picking out a name. I knew that it was something I needed to pray about, believing that God wanted to give us a name with a lot of meaning. Almost immediately I felt led to a particular passage of scripture that meant a lot to me.

Psalm 24: 3-6
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face.

David is making a really interesting statement in this Psalm, that can be easily bypassed if you're not looking for it, (now, I don't receive any credit for the following revelation, I heard this passage taught on many times by the director of the house of prayer here). He's saying that the kind of person that may stand before God has to follow certain criteria. Clean hands, pure heart, no idols, no lying. Pretty hard things to attain. In fact, seemingly impossible. Then, David has the audacity to say "This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him." Wait a second, wasn't Jacob pretty deceitful? After all the junk he did that we read about in the Old Testament (took advantage of his brother, tricked his father, was a coward and sent his family and servants before Esau instead of facing his brother himself, etc) you would think he'd be the last person described as having a "pure heart." So, what is David saying here? What does he know that we don't? 

In Genesis 32 we find the story of when Jacob wrestled with God (was it God? or an angel? I'm not sure and I've heard both). At the end of their encounter, Jacob insists that this 'Man' bless him. Then, another funny thing happens. The 'Man' asks what Jacob's name is. Now, this person, who is either an angel or God, definitely knew what Jacob's name was. So, what was He asking? He was saying "Who do you say you are?" "How do you define yourself" The name Jacob means 'deceiver.' His name said it all. But, God had other things in mind. "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." God gives Jacob a new name. A new identity. It's like he's saying "Yes, Jacob is what you were; a deceiver, a liar. But now, you are Chosen!" 

God restores us! He takes something ugly and dirty and sinful and makes it new! Like David said in the Psalm, He makes us clean and gives us the fresh opportunity to be pure. He calls us His and gives us a new purpose. He sees the beginning from the end. He knows the end of our story and He calls us to walk in that identity now! This is the gospel in its' purest form. Though we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Christ chose the ungodly even though they did nothing to deserve it. Jacob was given a new name and identity even though his history said otherwise. 

So, that's the story. Our son Israel isn't named after a people group or a nation, but after his daddy; Jacob. This new little life is our constant reminder that God can redeem anyone and anything. My husband, Jake, grew up living a double life, deceiving many and living for his own gain. Then his life was turned upside down by the man Jesus and he'll never be the same again. Now he is chosen and set apart, and it seemed fitting for his first son to be a picture of just that; redemption. May he walk in that reality and that calling all the days of his life.